I am drinking the YM Kaoru Supreme LE from O-Cha right now. This is my first shincha ever, so I have no expertise on this subject. All I can say is this is the best green tea I have ever tasted! I'm on the second infusion now, and both the first and second have been extremely flavorful.

Just finished my first experience with the Maiko Kinari Shincha. This is my first asamushi, as far as I can remember. I have been a deep-steamed fuka girl until now. While I think my preference will remain with the more intense, in-your-face flavor of fuka, I really enjoyed the light, sweet, smooth taste of this tea. My first sip made me think WHOA I really underbrewed this. But as I sipped on, I appreciated the gentle flavor, and found a deeper umami to the 2nd infusion. It's very good... just very different from my preconceived expectations for shincha.

Thanks so much for doing this, Chip. This is such a great way to dabble in new territory. So much to discover...

mlafranc wrote:I am drinking the YM Kaoru Supreme LE from O-Cha right now. This is my first shincha ever, so I have no expertise on this subject. All I can say is this is the best green tea I have ever tasted!

+1 Well its my second shincha, but I also have no epxertise and agree, its the best green tea I have every tasted!

Looking forward to trying another tomorrow. But I have a feeling ill be making an O-Cha order!

mlafranc and Laura, thanks for posting on the YM Supreme LE from the O-C. I have been trying to be somewhat mum ... so far. But the YM Supreme LE is da bomb IMHO, the best YM component shincha I have had this year.

Sarah, the transition from Fuka to Asa can be challenging but rewarding. Don't give up, don't ever give up! I know a lot of people who like one or the other ... it is great when you can come to apppreciate both.

Following my session with this tea, I logged onto O-Cha’s website to learn a little more about the tea and was pleasantly surprised to find quite a bit of backstory. Not that I was able to comment on the hybridized nature of the tea plant these leaves come from, but it was nice to see honest details from the source, especially since I was really, really impressed with this tea.

In the warmed houhin, the leaves glowed in briny ocean and warmed green grasses. The first steep produced an achingly sweet cup, with intense theanine-infused juiciness. What a wonderful texture, supple, sweet, and silky, with a strong bouquet of honeydew melon rind, oyster shell, and grape leaf. Savory and sweet all at once. I was so impressed with the first steep that I decided to hold off on a second session this morning and save my remaining 4g for a re-visit after I’ve tasted the other samples in my lot.

The second and third steeps were appreciably different, with the second exuding a not-bitter astringency that left a parching sensation in the mouth, a quality that played well with continuing sweetness, amplified green melon flavors, and persisting ocean brine. The third, however, was fairly plain and empty, but I was okay with that considering the shining impression that the first two steeps left. In many ways, this tea set a new bar for my limited experience with shincha.

I like Sae Midori as well, however Yutaka Midori Supreme LE has stolen my heart. Like Sarah mentioned above " ... my preference will remain with the more intense, in-your-face flavor "... yeah, I like the WOWZA of this YM from O-Cha!

OK, I took a turn at the YM Supreme LE this morning. I've already almost completely finished a package of the standard O-Cha YM this year. I've been looking forward to the Supreme version. It didn't disappoint!

The flavor is full, robust, complex, sweet, slightly nutty, very delicious. I think its a touch less bold than the standard YM, but in a very smooth way, not in a muted, toned down way. Its like YM with the few rough edges polished a bit... alittle sweeter, great lingering aftertaste, and great staying power so far... even the 4th infusion still has character, although I think this will be the last one worthy of drinking.

Arrived home from So Cal last night to find my OTT pkg on our doorstep!Yay.Soooo...This morning I just had to hit the YM Supreme LE.Mmmmmm.As I said on TD - Yum-a-licious!I went 4g : 4oz, and I used my Hagi Houhin (so I could more easily control the 4oz water). I used my oxo digital scale to measure 4g of leaf (which sadly left me with only about .5g remaining - but that's cool).This tea was wonderful! VERY rich and even robust I would say. Like broth. Yum, yum, yummy! Big time umami, very vegetal, certainly asparagus-y, spinach-y, even slightly creamy/buttery. Mmmmm. This all from 1st infusion. 2nd infusion some background sweetness emerged that was hinting at a floral and even fruity quality. This remained for all subsequent infusions until #6 - disappearing now.BTW - for 2nd infusion I stayed with 158*, and went short = water on and ASAP pour out. 3rd infusion 20s, 4th infusion 165* @ 20s, 5th infusion 165* @ 40s. 6th infusion 175* @ 1m. Now I'll try boiling for 1m.Cheers!(enlargeable; and btw, that's Deishi hagi houhin and Novak yunomi).ps - oops, I forget now, but the photo is either 2nd or 3rd infusion.